Cleats and footwear for providing customized traction

ABSTRACT

A removable cleat includes a plurality of projections, dividing into sets, with each set of projections made of different materials. The cleat includes a coupling element, for attachment to a shoe, and a ground contacting element. The ground contacting element contains a plurality of projections, with the projections divided into at least two sets. The projections may be disposed about the perimeter of the ground contacting element, such that each set of projections does not extend more than half the perimeter. Additionally, some of the plurality of projections may be located interior to the perimeter. Further, each set of projections may be oriented in a particular direction with respect to a plane formed by the perimeter. Each interspersed set of projections may be made of a different material, or each projection may itself be made of a different material.

RELATED CASES

This patent application is a continuation application of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 14/048,355 filed Oct. 8, 2013, which is acontinuation application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/452,001,filed Apr. 20, 2012, which is a divisional application of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 12/495,045, filed Jun. 30, 2009, which is adivisional application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/938,140,filed Nov. 9, 2007, which is a divisional application of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 11/043,691, filed Jan. 26, 2005, which claimspriority from U.S. provisional application Nos. 60/539,244 and60/557,488 filed Jan. 26, 2004 and Mar. 30, 2004 respectively.Accordingly, the current application also claims priority from U.S.provisional application Nos. 60/539,244 and 60/557,488. All of theaforementioned applications are incorporated herein by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD AND BACKGROUND ART

The present invention relates to removable cleats for athletic shoes, inparticular, removable cleats for golf shoes.

Athletic shoe cleats, in particular golf cleats, have been subject tochanging designs in recent years, to attempt to provide users with avariety of advantages. For many years, a cleat took a simple form of aspike, usually made of metal, attached the bottom of a shoe. Becausesuch spikes could damage non-athletic surfaces, and some athleticsurfaces as well, variations have been made from the simple form. Forexample, UK Patent Application 2,098,457 to Perks, discloses surroundinga spike element of a cleat with soft material, to decrease damage doneto surfaces. Other designs do not use metal spikes but ratherprojections of different shapes, typically made of plastic, to lessendamage to surfaces; an example can be seen in U.S. design Pat. D432,770to Breault et al., which shows projections of different heights. Anotherdesign, which provides a directional golf cleat, is the CHAMP TRAC™spike made by MacNeill Engineering Company, Inc.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In a first embodiment of the invention there is provided a removablecleat. The removable cleat has a coupling element and a ground-engagingelement. The ground-engaging element has a perimeter with a plurality ofprojections. The projections may be divided into at least a first set ofprojections, made of a first material, and at least a second set ofprojections, made of a second material. Every other projection may be ofthe first set and interspersed with the projections of the second set.Further, the projections may include at least one projection extendingbeyond the perimeter of the ground-engaging element, and at least oneprojection not extending beyond the perimeter of the ground-engagingelement. In addition, at least one of the plurality of projections mayproject in a direction perpendicular to a plane formed by the perimeterof the ground-engaging element.

In a related embodiment, the cleat may be a directional cleat, with someprojections not extending beyond more than half of the perimeter of theground-engaging element. In an alternative embodiment, none of theprojections extend beyond the perimeter of the ground-engaging element.

In a further related embodiment, the first set of projections may belonger than the second set of projections. In addition, the firstmaterial may be softer than the second material. In yet a furtherrelated embodiment, the removable cleat may further include a thirdmaterial that possesses a different characteristic from the first andsecond materials. Further, the coupling element may be made of the thirdmaterial. In yet another related embodiment, two of the materials may becharacterized by a different color, to ease installation of the cleat inthe proper direction.

In another embodiment of the invention there is provided a removablecleat having a coupling element and a ground-engaging element, whereinthe ground-engaging element has a perimeter with a plurality ofprojections. Several projections may be oriented substantiallyperpendicular to the ground or angled inwardly, and several projectionsmay be angled outwardly to extend beyond the perimeter of theground-engaging element. Preferably, the outwardly angled projections donot extend beyond more than half of the perimeter of the ground-engagingelement. The cleat may have one set of projections longer than anotherset of projections. One set of projections may be made of a softermaterial than another set. In a preferred embodiment, the longerprojections may be made of a softer material, and the shorterprojections made of a harder material. The two sets may be interspersed.Further, the coupling element may be made of a third material. In yetanother related embodiment, two of the materials may be characterized bydifferent colors, to ease installation of the cleat in the properdirection.

In yet another embodiment, there is provided a rotating oversized cleatfor a shoe. The rotating oversized cleat comprises a coupling element,such that the cleat is removable, and a ground-engaging element. Theground-engaging element has a perimeter with a plurality of projections.Some of the projections may not extend beyond the perimeter, and theprojections may be divided into at least a first set of projections madeof a first material and at least a second set of projections made of asecond material. In addition, the cleat may further include a ratchet,such that the oversized cleat may rotate in only one direction.

In a related embodiment, the ground-engaging element may further includea center portion and an outer portion, wherein the outer portion may becapable of rotation, and the center portion may remain static withrespect to the shoe unless the oversized cleat is removed. In addition,the coupling element may include an attachment structure including atleast three equally spaced radial coupling projections. Each couplingprojection may be asymmetric with respect to an axis projecting radiallyoutward from the center of the attachment structure through the radialcenter of the projection, and the radial center of the couplingprojection may have a convex curved radial end. The coupling projectionmay thus be capable of interacting with a corresponding cleat receptacleso that less force is required to engage the cleat with the receptaclethan to disengage the cleat from the receptacle.

In a related embodiment, there is provided the outsole of a shoe,comprising a rotating oversized cleat described above and at least oneother removable cleat. The at least one other removable cleat of theoutsole may be a directional cleat.

In still another embodiment, there is provided a removable cleat forcoupling to a shoe sole. The cleat includes a coupling element and asurface-engaging element. The surface-engaging element includes aperimeter and a plurality of projections. The projections include atleast a first set of projections, which may be made of a first materialand a second set of projections, which may be made of a second material.The first set of projections is oriented in a direction that issubstantially perpendicular to a plane formed by the perimeter. Thesecond set of projections is oriented in a direction that issubstantially parallel to a plane formed by the perimeter. Further, thesecond set of projections may be longer than the first set ofprojections, and the first material may be softer than the secondmaterial.

In still another embodiment, the ground-engaging element has abottom-most portion made of a first material, an intermediate portionlocated above the bottom-most portion and made of a second material, anda base portion located above the intermediate portion and made of thesecond material or a third material. The base-portion's material isharder than the first material. The intermediate portion forms flexiblecantilevered fingers. The bottom-most portion may be located at thecleats' central axis, and the intermediate and base portions may bewider than the bottom-most portion. The base portion may include on itsbottom surface crenellations, which may be located to receive theflexible cantilevered fingers when the flexible cantilevered fingers arebent upwardly.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The foregoing features of the invention will be more readily understoodby reference to the following detailed description, taken with referenceto the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a removable cleat according to oneembodiment of the current invention;

FIG. 2 is a side view of the cleat shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a bottom view of a cleat similar to the one shown in FIG. 1,but which includes a logo;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the cleat shown in FIG. 3, showing a wearindicator;

FIG. 5 is a bottom view of a removable cleat according to an alternativeembodiment of the current invention;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view of the cleat shown in FIG. 5 across line A-A;

FIG. 7 is a sectional view of the cleat shown in FIG. 5 across line B-B;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a removable cleat according to analternative embodiment of the current invention;

FIG. 9 is a bottom view of the cleat shown in FIG. 8;

FIGS. 10 and 11 are different side views of the cleat shown in FIG. 8;

FIG. 12 is a bottom view of a removable cleat according to analternative embodiment of the current invention;

FIGS. 13 and 14 are different side views of the ground-engaging portionof the cleat shown in FIG. 12;

FIG. 15 is a perspective view of the cleat shown in FIG. 12;

FIG. 16 is a sectional view of a removable cleat according to analternative embodiment of the current invention; and

FIGS. 17-19 are perspective views of removable cleats according toalternative embodiments of the current invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF SPECIFIC EMBODIMENTS

FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate a removable cleat 10 according to an embodimentof the current invention. The removable cleat 10 has a coupling element12, which is shown in FIG. 2, and a ground-engaging element 14. Thecoupling element 12 may be any suitable element. One example of asuitable coupling element includes, but is not limited to, a threadedstud. This includes but is not limited to studs with conventionalthreading, and studs using multiple-start threads, such as shown in U.S.Pat. No. 5,974,700. A further example of a suitable element is aconnector such as that described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,631,571. The exampleof a suitable coupling element shown in FIG. 2 is based on the MacNeillEngineering Q-lok™ System (described in, for example, U.S. Pat. No.5,768,809, issued Jun. 23, 1998, which is incorporated herein byreference).

Disposed at the perimeter of the cleat is a plurality of projections 18.The projections 18 bear the weight of a user on a surface, when theremovable cleat 10 is attached to an athletic shoe worn by the user, butthe projections are preferably made of plastic so as to be less likelyto damage the surface. When weight is applied to the cleat 10, theprojections 18 flex in an upward direction, away from the surface, aswell as in an outward direction, away from the center of theground-engaging element 14.

FIG. 3 shows a version of the FIG. 1 cleat, modified to include a logo 9on a bottom surface. As can be seen in FIG. 3, the ground-engagingelement 14 includes a perimeter 16. The perimeter 16 may be acircumference, if the ground-engaging element is circular in shape. Aswith the cleat shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the FIG. 3 cleat has a pluralityof projections 18 at the perimeter 16. The plurality of projections 18may also be disposed on perimeter 16 such that the projections 18 do notextend beyond perimeter 16. For example, the plurality of projections 18may extend in a direction substantially perpendicular to a plane formedby the perimeter, i.e., substantially perpendicular to the ground.Alternatively, some projections may extend beyond the perimeter and somemay extend in a direction substantially perpendicular to the ground, asshown in the embodiments shown in FIGS. 5-11, as discussed below.

In the embodiments shown in FIGS. 1-3, the projections 18 are dividedinto two sets of projections, a first set 20 and a second set 22. Thefirst set 20 is composed of a first material, and the second set 22 iscomposed of a second material. Further sets may be made in this manner,such that there could be a third set of projections made of a thirdmaterial, a fourth set of projections made of a fourth material, and soon. Other materials may also be added to the removable cleat 10 withoutincluding further sets of projections. The coupling element 12 may bemade of a third material that is different from the first and secondmaterials used in the plurality of projections 18. If further sets ofprojections were then added to such a cleat, a third set of projectionscould be made of a fourth material, a fourth set of projections could bemade of a fifth material, and so on. Alternatively, one of theadditional sets of projections could be made of the same material as thecoupling element. The first set 20 and the second set 22 are preferablyinterspersed with each other, as shown in the figures. Further, each ofthese sets of projections may be of different colors.

Any of the embodiments of the invention described herein may use one ormore wear indicators. A single wear indicator 11 is shown as the logo 9,for example, on the removable cleat 10 in FIG. 4, which shows across-section of the removable cleat 10 in FIG. 3 along axis A-A. Thewear indicator 11 may be used on many of the cleats described herein.The wear indicator 11 is shown in FIG. 4 as being centrally located onthe surface of the removable cleat 10 that includes ground-engagingelement 14. The wear indicator 11 is a layer of softer material over aharder material; the two materials have different colors. As theremovable cleat 10 is used, and the plurality of projections 18 flex,the wear indicator 11 comes into contact with surfaces, causing stress.This stress results in the softer material of the wear indicator 11beginning to wear away, such that after enough contact with surfaces,the softer materials wear indicator 11 is completely worn away exposingthe differently colored harder material underneath. At this time, theuser is alerted to the heavy wear on removable cleat 10, which mayresult in decreased usefulness of the removable cleat 10. Thus, the useris able to replace the removable cleat 10 with a new cleat. The centrallocation shown in FIG. 4 is just one possible placement for the wearindicator 11. For example, a wear indicator 11 may be placed at the endof each longer projection 20, as these projections come into morecontact with surfaces than shorter projections 22. A wear indicator 11may also be placed at the end of each shorter projection 22, if theseare made of a less durable material than longer projections 20. It isalso possible to place a wear indicator 11 on any or every projection ofa cleat, so that when any projection shows wear, the user is alerted tothe potential need to replace the cleat.

The first set of projections 20 may be longer than the second set ofprojections 22, and made of a material that is softer than the materialof second set of projections 22. The softer material that composes thefirst set of projections 20 may be made of, for example but not limitedto, a thermoplastic urethane, acetal resin, nylon, or thermoplasticrubber. For a thermoplastic urethane used as a softer material, thedurometer may be in the range of 60 shore A to 90 A, and in a preferredembodiment is 90 shore A. Thermoplastic urethanes, acetal resins, andnylons can also be used as the material for harder projections, such asthe first set of projections 21. In this case, the durometer may rangefrom 95 shore A to S60D, with the preferred embodiment being 95 shore A.It is also possible to use one of these harder graded materials to makethe coupling element 12. The first set of projections 20, being longerand made of a softer material, would come into contact with a surfacefirst and bend more easily, causing less damage to the surface. Thesecond set of projections 22, being shorter and made of a hardermaterial, would provide additional support and stability on surfaces.The flexibility of the first set of projections 20 may be increased, aswell. For example, as is known in the prior art, the structure and shapeof the projections may increase their flexibility. Such an example iswhen the cross-section of the projection is made smaller or thinnerThus, it is possible to make projections of a particular structure andshape with different materials, effectively increasing the possibleamount of flexibility in the projection. It is also possible to vary thestructure and shape of projections within a set, further increasing thedifferent characteristics that removable cleat 10 may advantageouslyuse.

FIGS. 5-7 show a variation of the cleat shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, whereinthree of the six projections are disposed substantially perpendicular tothe shoe sole—i.e., substantially perpendicular to the ground—andwherein the remaining three projections are angled outwardly from thecleat's vertical axis. The substantially perpendicular projections 520,522 are thus oriented so as to be compressed when the shoe engages theground. Instead of projecting perpendicularly, these projections may beangled inwardly. The outwardly angled projections 20, 22 are oriented todeflect when the shoe engages the ground. In this embodiment, onesubstantially perpendicular projection 520 is longer and made from asofter material than the remaining two substantially perpendicularprojections 522. Two outwardly angled projections 20 are made of thesame material as the longer substantially perpendicular projection 520,and one outwardly angled projection 22 is made of the same material asthe shorter substantially perpendicular projections 522; the formermaterial being softer than the latter material. As can be seen in FIGS.5-7, the softer outwardly angled projections 20 are longer than theharder outwardly angled projection 22. As can also be seen in theembodiment shown in FIGS. 5-7, the ends of all the projections 20, 520made from the softer material are at approximately the same distancefrom the shoe sole, and the ends of all the projections 22, 522 madefrom the harder material are at approximately the same distance from theshoe sole. It will be appreciated that the arrangement of projectionsshown in FIGS. 5-7 provides directional traction, and when used, forinstance, with a Q-lok-type receptacle, the user can orient thedirection of the cleat in one of three different directions depending onthe conditions and the desires of the user.

FIGS. 8-11 show another variation of the cleat shown in FIGS. 3 and 4,and the cleat shown in FIGS. 5-7. As with the cleat shown in FIGS. 5-7,the cleat shown in FIGS. 8-11 has three substantially perpendicularprojections 820, 822, which are oriented so as to be compressed when theshoe engages the ground, and three outwardly angled projections 20, 22,which are oriented to deflect when the shoe engages the ground. In thisembodiment, two of the softer, longer projections 820 are substantiallyperpendicular, and only one of the shorter, harder projections 822 issubstantially perpendicular. Only one of the softer, longer projections20 is outwardly angled, and two of the shorter, harder projections 22are outwardly angled. It will be appreciated that different numbers ofprojections, and different arrangements of harder, shorter projectionsand softer, longer projections may be used and fall within the scope ofthe invention.

Further, the various different materials that form the different groupsof projections in a directional cleat, as described by example above,may each be a different color. Such coloring may be used to help easecorrect installation of such a directional cleat. For example, theoutsole of the shoe may be marked with different colors in order toassist the wearer in the aligning the cleats in the preferred manner.

FIGS. 12-15 show another removable cleat according to the currentinvention. The perimeter of the removable cleat shown in FIGS. 12-15defines an unconventional shape, as compared with, for example, theperimeter of the removable cleat shown in FIG. 1. Regardless of shape,the perimeter of the removable cleat may be said to define a plane. InFIGS. 12-15, the plurality of projections includes two sets ofprojections, with each set oriented in a different direction relative tothe plane formed by the perimeter. A plurality of ground projections 17extend, for example, in a direction that is substantially perpendicularto the plane, i.e., substantially perpendicular to the ground. Theplurality of ground projections 17 are made of a first material. Aplurality of side projections extends, for example, in a direction thatis substantially parallel to the plane, i.e., substantially parallel tothe ground. The plurality of side projections 19 are made of a secondmaterial that is different from the material used to make the pluralityof ground projections 17. In a preferred embodiment, the plurality ofside projections 19 are longer than the plurality of ground projections17, and the first material that composes the plurality of groundprojections 17 is softer than the second material that composes theplurality of side projections 19.

The plurality of projections may include further groupings made in themanner described above, such that there could be a group of projectionsmade of a third material and oriented in a third direction relative tothe plane, a group of projections made of a fourth material oriented ina fourth direction relative to the plane, and so on. Further, it ispossible for other materials to be incorporated into the removable cleatwithout adding other projections. For example, the coupling element ofthe removable cleat may be made of a third material. If a furthergrouping or groupings of projections were included in such a cleat, thethird group of projections could be made of a fourth material, thefourth group of projection could be made of a fifth material, and so on.

The embodiment of the removable cleat shown in FIGS. 12-15 could beconfigured in other ways as well. The cleat may include a set of angledprojections that are oriented at an acute angle to the plane formed bythe perimeter, i.e., at an acute angle to the ground. The angled set ofprojections could be made of a second material. The angled set ofprojections could include at least one projection that extends beyondthe perimeter of the removable cleat. Alternatively, the angledprojections are short enough so as to not extend beyond the perimeter ofthe removable cleat. In a preferred embodiment, the set of projectionsthat are substantially parallel to the plane are longer than the angledset of projections, and the second material that composes the set ofangled projections is softer than the first material that composes theset of projections that are substantially parallel to the plane.

The plurality of projections of this embodiment could further includeother sets of projections oriented at different acute angles than theset of angled projections, with each set of projections made of afurther different material. Additionally, one of the other sets ofprojections may be oriented in a direction substantially perpendicularto that of the plane formed by the perimeter, and made of a differentmaterial.

FIG. 16 shows a sectional view of a cleat according to an alternativeembodiment of the current invention. The cleat depicted in FIG. 16 ismade of three different materials, all of which are thermoplastic in apreferred embodiment. The bottom-most portion 161 may be made of thesoftest material so as to comfortably cushion impacts on hard surfaces.This soft bottom-most portion 161 may have a suction-cup shape at itsbottom end so as to improve traction on certain types of surfaces. Thissoft bottom-most portion 161 is preferably located at the cleat'scentral axis, as shown in FIG. 16. Over and surrounding the bottom-mostportion 116 is a second material forming a set of flexible fingers 167,radiating outwardly and tilting downwardly when no force is beingapplied to them. This second material is harder than the bottom-mostportion's material but nevertheless has sufficient flexibility to permitthe fingers 167 to bend upwardly when they come into contact with theground. Over the fingers 167 is a relatively rigid portion 169, whichmay be disk-shaped and which is made of a third material. This thirdmaterial is more rigid than the first two materials, from which thebottom-most portion 161 and the fingers 167 are made. In an alternativeembodiment, both the fingers 167 and the rigid portion 169 are made ofthe same material; in this embodiment, the fingers are thin in order tomake them more flexible than the rigid portion.

The rigid portion 169 may have a downwardly protruding rim 168 on itsbottom surface at its periphery. Such a rim 168 improves traction oncertain types of surfaces. This rim 169 may include crenellations thatfurther improve the traction on certain types of surfaces. Thesecrenellations may also be lined up with the fingers 167 so that thefingers are received into the crenellations when the fingers are bentupwardly. The coupling element 12 may also be made of the thirdmaterial, or alternatively it may be made of a fourth material, such asa harder thermoplastic or a metal.

FIGS. 17-19 show various embodiments of cleats that may be used in thecurrent invention. In FIGS. 17-19, an oversized cleat 100 has a couplingelement and a ground-engaging element 104. The oversized cleat 100 has aperimeter 106. Disposed adjacent the perimeter 106 are a plurality ofprojections 108. The plurality of projections 108 do not extend beyondthe perimeter 106. The oversized cleat 100 may also have a plurality ofprojections 126 that are located internally from the perimeter 106 onthe surface of the ground-engaging element 104, for example, as seen inFIG. 18. In any of FIGS. 17-19, the plurality of projections 108 may begrouped into two or more sets of projections. For example, in FIG. 17,some of the plurality of projections 108 may be part of a first set 110,and some part of a second set 112. The first set 110 may be made of afirst material, and the second set 112 may made of a second differentmaterial. As shown in FIG. 17, the projections of the first set 110 maybe interspersed with the projections of the second set 112. It ispossible to divide the plurality of projections 108 into any number ofsets, with each set of projections made of a different material. Forexample, in FIG. 18, the plurality of projections 108 may be groupedinto a first set 120, a second set 122, a third set 124, and a fourthset 126, with each set made of a different material. In the embodimentshown in FIG. 18, the outer projections 120, 122, 124 have convex bottomsurfaces. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 19, the projections 108 haveconcave bottom surfaces.

The oversized cleat 100 may be made to rotate when attached to a shoeusing, for example, a primary connector as used in the MacNeillEngineering Q-lok™ System (described in, for example, U.S. Pat. No.5,768,809, issued Jun. 23, 1998). The direction of rotation may belimited by a ratchet, such that the oversized cleat 100 is able torotate in only one direction as determined by placement of the ratchet.This limited rotation direction may be desirable. For example, during aproper golf swing, the back leg and foot of the golfer rotate in thedirection of the swing, such that the back foot points in the directionof travel of the golf ball at the completion of the swing. Though theback foot and leg rotate, ideally the foot should not otherwise move. Ashoe for the back foot containing a rotating cleat such as the oversizedcleat 100 would thus be advantageous. The ratchet of oversized cleat 100could be configured such that oversized cleat 100 could rotate to permitthe wearer's foot to point in the direction of travel of the golf ball.The rotating oversized cleat 100 would be placed on the front of theoutsole of the shoe that the golfer wears on his or her back foot. Theoversized cleat 100 would thereby provide traction to help minimize anymotion of the back foot other than the desired rotation motion, whileeasily allowing the desired rotation motion to occur. Used in thismanner, the oversized cleat 100 could help improve a golfer's swing. Anon-rotating oversized cleat may be placed on the front of the outsoleof the shoe that the golfer wears on his or her front foot.Conventionally sized cleats, and in a preferred embodiment directionalcleats, may be located on the back of the outsoles.

As discussed above, the coupling element may comprise conventionalthreading, multiple-start threads, such as shown in U.S. Pat. No.5,974,700, or the connectors described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,631,571 or5,768,809. In an alternative embodiment, the coupling element may beadaptable so that the cleat may be received into different types ofreceptacles. A simple example of such an adaptable coupling element isone that may be accepted into a conventional metal threaded socket, orby using an adapter, may be accepted into a large-thread plastic socket.The adapter may have on its inner diameter conventional threading, sothat the adapter may be screwed on over the metal threads of thecoupling element. The adapter's outer diameter would have threadscompatible with a large-thread socket. Thus, without the adapter, thecleat may be accepted into a conventionally threaded metal socket, andwith the adapter, the cleat may be accepted into a plastic large-threadsocket. Other types of adapters may be used to convert different typesof coupling elements to work in different types of receptacles.

The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms withoutdeparting from the true scope of the invention. The describedembodiments are to be considered in all respects as illustrative onlyand not restrictive.

We claim:
 1. A removable cleat comprising: a coupling element; and aground-engaging element, the ground-engaging element having a perimeter,a first and second side, and a plurality of projections attached to thefirst side of the ground-engaging element, wherein the plurality ofprojections include at least an external set of projections at theperimeter of the ground engaging element, and an internal set ofprojections substantially internal to the external set of projections,wherein the external set of projections is made of a different materialfrom the internal set of projections, wherein the internal set ofprojections is aligned between every external projection in the externalset of projections.
 2. The removable cleat according to claim 1, whereinthe different materials have different hardness.
 3. The removable cleataccording to claim 1, wherein the internal set of projections includesat least a first set of projections made of a first material and asecond set of projections made of a second material, the first set ofprojections interspersed with the second set of projections.
 4. Theremovable cleat according to claim 3, wherein the first material issofter than the second material.
 5. The removable cleat according toclaim 1, wherein the external set of projections includes at least afirst set of projections made of a first material and a second set ofprojections made of a second material, the first set of projectionsinterspersed with the second set of projections.
 6. The removable cleataccording to claim 5, wherein the internal set of projections includesat least a third set of projections made of a third material and afourth set of projections made of a fourth material, the third set ofprojections interspersed with the fourth set of projections.
 7. Theremovable cleat according to claim 6, wherein the coupling element ismade of the third material.
 8. The removable cleat according to claim 5,wherein the external set of projections includes a third set ofprojections made of a third material interspersed with the first set ofprojections and the second set of projections.
 9. The removable cleataccording to claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the external set ofprojections borders at least a portion of the internal set ofprojections.
 10. The removable cleat according to claim 1, wherein theexternal set of projections is a different shape than the internal setof projections.
 11. The removable cleat according to claim 1, whereinthe external set of projections is a different size than the internalprojections.
 12. The removable cleat according to claim 5, wherein thefirst material is softer than the second material.
 13. The removablecleat according to claim 1, wherein the different materials arecharacterized by a different color.
 14. The removable cleat according toclaim 1, wherein the internal projections and external projectionsextend perpendicular to the first side.
 15. The removable cleataccording to claim 1, wherein the projections of the external set ofprojections extend beyond the perimeter.
 16. The removable cleataccording to claim 1, wherein the cleat is configured to rotate whenattached to a shoe.
 17. The removable cleat according to claim 16,wherein the cleat is able to rotate in only one direction.